Surface supported device for gripping a receptacle and removing the closure and having a single operator



Sept. 4, 1951 J. F. CASTNER 2,566,598

SURFACE SUPPORTED DEVICE FOR GRIPPING A RECEPTACLE AND REMOVING THECLOSURE AND HAVING A SINGLE OPERATOR Filed Oct. 20. 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet1 1110 Math mu l CONNECTION 42 ('Ittorneg 3nnentor @kflfi-ad 6mm Sept.4, 1951 J. F. CASTNER 2,566,598

SURFACE SUPPORTED DEVICE FOR GRIPPING A RECEPTACLE AND REMOVING THECLOSURE AND HAVING A SINGLE OPERATOR Filed Oct. 20, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet2 I LOST MOTION -GIONDIECTION dz .6. .6, F .120 .124 E9 I a E '30 v F 416' F7 129 i QTWWM a cl'aJzn 11nd (fa/5:2 1:01-

Patented Sept. 4, 1951 SURFACE SUPPORTED DEVICE FOR GRIP- PING ARECEPTACLE AND REMOVING THE CLOSURE AND HAVING A SINGLE OPERA- TOR JohnFred Castner, Hammond, La.

Application October 20, 1947, Serial No. 780,964

4 Claims.

This invention pertains to the removal of container lids and inparticular to heavy containers which because of their size andcumbersomeness it is diilicult to manually release the lids therefrom.

It is an object of my invention to enable large containers to be easilyhandled and the lids expeditiously removed therefrom.

Another object is to secure the container against movement ordislocation during the lid removal operation.

A further object is to permit of a, firm gripping of the container lid.

A still further object is to enable the container lid to be verticallylifted from the container.

Other objects will appear hereinafter throughout the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my can lid remover with the detailedoperating link construction merely indicated.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation similarly indicating only therelative position of the operating constructions.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the operating constructions with thegripping fingers shown in can lid engaging position.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same relative positions. A

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the jaw construction in can engagingposition with a portion shown in cross section.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of this construction with one of thefingers shown in can lid engaging position.

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic view of one of the two can engaging jaws.

Figures 8 and 9 are details of the lost motion construction.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral [0 indicates a platform mountedon legs 1 2. Horizontal braces are shown at I4 while the uprightsupports for the operating mechanism are indicated at l8 and 20. An opentop is shown at 22, a container stop at 24 supported on the two rearuprights 20, and container tracks are shown at 25.

In Figures 3 and 4, where the operating mechanism is shown separatedfrom the supporting construction, the jaw construction is shown inclosed position. A main shaft 26 is supported on the platform I 8 havingan operating handle 28. A link 30, having a head 35 which is pinned at3! on shaft 26, is in turn pivotally connected at 32 between abifurcation 33 of a vertical shaft 34. In order to stabilize this shaft,a guide bushing 3b is mounted on the support .37 connected to verticalsupports :2. Links 38 and M are pivotally mounted on shaft Ed at '52,and extending outwardly therefrom. Pivotally connected at 39 to links asand it are links es and is. Thes last two links M and it are rotatablmounted on shafts 4B and 58. Mounted on the upper end of the links M and26 are arcuate can engaging jaws 5?. and 54. In Figure 3, these jaws areshown in closed position, the open positions being indicated in dottedlines.

Pivotally secured to the operating handle 28 at 56 is a lever 58, andwhich in turn is pivotally connected at 68 to a link 62. This link 62 ispivotally mounted on shaft 54 which is supported in bearings 68 and 63on the top of platform 22. Lever arm It, non-rotatably mounted on shaft54, is pivotally connected at E2 to links M and T6. These links Hi andIt are connected to the finger gripping assembly 18 and which isoperated thereby. The links is and iii are secured at the bottom to theupright H which is mounted on the finger gripping mechanism 18. Aconnecting link 13 is pivotally secured at one end i5 and means forpivotally connecting the link 13 to the supports 20 is shown at H.

The finger gripping assembly 18 comprises a circular band or ring Bilupon which are rotatably mounted the fingers 82. In Figure 6, thefingers 82 are shown mounted on pins 84 on the inner periphery of theband 83 and are held in approximately vertical position by means ofsprings 86. These fingers 82 have pointed heads 88 and container lidbead engaging prongs 9%, which when engaged, will rest on ledges 92. Theband is secured at 94 to two straps 95, which in turn, are pivotallysecured to the uprights 20 at 98.

In Figures 5, 6 and '7, in particular, the can holding and lid removingconstructions are indicated. A container Hi0, having a bead W2, isperipherally engaged on two sides by the arcuate members 52 and 54. Ihebead 104 of the container lid I06 is engaged by the prongs 96 of thespring controlled fingers 82; Positioned above the finger grippingassembly '68, and centrally thereof, is a ring or band [08. This ring issecured in the front at H0 and in the rear at H2 to two straps H4 and H6on the main support, and permits the passage of the operating means forthe finger gripping assembly therethrough.

In Figures 8 and 9, the details of the lost motion construction betweenhandle 28 and shaft 26 is shown. A collar H8, having a flanged portionI20, is pinned at I22 to the shaft 2%. A com- 3 panion collar 124 havinga flanged portion ms is welded at 128 to the handle 28. It is to benoticed that the flanged portions 120 and H5 are circumferentiallyspaced on shaft 26, and the handle is secured on shaft 26 by the nutI35.

It can be appreciated that when the handle 28 is moved downwardly tocause the fingers 82 to remove the lid I05 from the container [853, thejaws 52 and 5d are not yet released; The heads 38 of the lid grippingconstruction; in moving upwardly, eventually strike the band or ring 38,causing the fingers 90 to swing outwardly and release the lid and dropit upon the container. Just subsequent to this, the flange I25 engagesflange I25 to cause further rotation of shaft 25 to effect release ofthe jaws 52 and 54 from the container I00.

Operation I A heavy container is first placed on the tracks 25 andpushed back against the stop 24 which positions the container I00centrally of the operating mechanisms. The handle 28 is then raised, asindicated in Figures 3 and 4, to rotate shaft 26, the arm and effectmovement of the shaft 3d. Vertical movement of this shaft operates thetoggle link construction to cause the jaws 52 and 54 to firmly securethe container against movement.

Clockwise movement of the handle 28, through connection 56, also effectsupward movement of the lever 58 which moves link 62 in acounterclockwise direction about the shaft 54 and causes lever arm ii!to force the links 14 and 15 downwardly. This action causes the springpressed fingers 82 to ride past and under the bead ltd of the containerlid I06 into gripping relationship therewith.

The device is now in position to remove the lid from the container.Handle 28 is lowered which, through lever 58, link 62, arm and links Hiand 76, will effect upward movement of the finger gripping assembly toremove the lid from the container.

Immediate release of the jaw gripping construction is not effected dueto the lost or retarded motion of the construction shown in Figures 3, 8and 9. However, continued movement of shafts 26. and 64 will cause thefinger assembly to move upward until the heads 88 strike the ring I58 toeffect release of the fingers 32 from the lid I96, this occurring afterthe container has been released from its holding means.

Subsequent rotation of shaft 26 will return the toggle construction toits non-holding position, the lid previously dropping on the openedcontainer. On the culmination of the above operations, the container maybe removed and the operation repeated.

Further explanation of the lost-motion construction shown in Figures 3,8 and 9 will indicate that after the container has been grasped byarcuate clamps 52 and 54, and the fingers 82 have engaged the bead I04,the movement of handle 28 will cause further rotation of shaft 26,closing the gap between I20 and I26. However, before this gap has beenbridged, the previous movement of lever 58 and connecting linkage willeffect the raising of the fingers 82 to remove the lid from thecontainer and the subsequent release of the lid from the fingers whenthey strike the band I08. It must be noted that the timing afforded bythe lost motion prevents the release of the arcuate clamps 52 and 54until 4 the lid has been removed and raised away from the container.Otherwise, the upward pull of the fingers would accomplish nothing butthe raising of the whole container if the container had not been held bythe clamps 52 and 54.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for removing a lid from a container, said containerbeing of the type in= eluding a lid having a circumferential rib, a sup=port for said container, container holding means and lid engaging meansmounted on said support having cooperative engagement with operatingmeans, a handle, said operating means including a rotatable shaftoperably connected to said con tainer holding means, said handle mountedori said shaft, a main link operably connected to said handle andthrough a second link to rotate a second rotatable shaft, said secondshaft connected to said lid engaging means whereby vertical movement ofsaid lid engaging means is effected to release said lid upon actuationof said handle by the operator.

2. In an apparatus for removing a lid from a container, said containerbeing of the type including a lid having a circumferential rib, asupport for said container, container holding means and lid engagingmeans mounted on said support having cooperative engagement withoperating means, a handle, said operating means including a rotatableshaft operably connected to said container holding means, said handlemounted on said shaft, a main link opera-bly connected to said handleand through a second link to rotate a second rotatable shaft, saidsecond shaft connected to said lid engaging means whereby verticalmovement of said lid engaging means is effected to release said lid uponactuation of said handle by the operator, and means for preventingrelease of said container holding means until said lid is released fromsaid container comprising a lost motion construction operably connectedto said operating means.

3. In an apparatus for removing a lid of the type having acircumferential rib from a container, a support, container holding meansmovable to and from said container, lid engaging means comprising springpressed fingers pivotally mounted on the periphery of a circular membermovable to and from said lid with respect to said container, a handleand connections to said container holding and said lid engaging means, astop positioned in the path of movement of said fingers, a lost motionconstruction cooperating with said container holding means andlidengaging means to effect removal of said lid from said container uponoperation of said handle, said stop adapted to release said lid fromsaid fingers upon movement of said fingers, and said lost motionconstruction having cooperative engagement with said container holdingmeans whereby continued movement of said handle will effect release ofsaid las t-named means.

4. The combination with a support having releasable means for engaging acircumferential container, of a circumferential container lid removingmeans including radially disposed pressed fingers pivotally mounted onthe periphery of a circular member and adapted to be moved into and outof engagement with said lid, a handle and operable connections with saidcontainer engag -L1 ing and lid removing means whereb said lidgis, I

removed from said container, springs-operably' connected to said fingersto normally iriaint'ain the fingers in lid engaging'positioh, a 19stmotion construction enacting with said two means where- 'by said lid isremoved before said container is released, and a stop positioned in thepath of said lid removing means whereby said lid is released from saidspring ressed fingers.

JOHN FRED CASTNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Codd Sept. 22, 1885 Barnes Aug.16, 1892 Bandimere June 25, 1907 Cochrane Nov. 20, 1917 Smith Apr. 30,1918 Green Mar. 5, 1929 Weaver et a1 Aug. 13, 1929 Presser Oct. 6, 1936

